Credit: istock (left) @RIPcotCenter (right)Walt Disney World Resort has always been the mecca when it comes to theme parks.
When Guests visit, they can head to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. On top of that, there are two water parks: Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. Guests can shop and eat in Disney Springs while also exploring the 25+ Disney Resort that scower the property, which is bigger than San Francisco. That is just scratching the surface.
Since the inception of Walt Disney World, and really, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Imagineers have been creating lands, rides, hotels, and more — all of which are themed and immersive experiences that indulge Guests into another world. It became what Disney was known for. Entering the Haunted Mansion for the first time in your life, and feeling like you are transported into an abandoned home full of ghosts, or hopping aboard a boat where you will travel through a pirate-infested town, through battles, through fires, all to find a treasure on Pirates of the Caribbean — it all feels like you are walking onto a movie set.
Many Guests have been commenting on the decline at Walt Disney World. Some have said that maintenance has not been kept, while many others have noted that the once high-level expectation for theming has now gone out the window. Disney fans have stated, “Maintenance at the Park is not what it used to be, as recently as ten years ago. A premium was placed in the Eisner era on ensuring the parks were always in tip-top shape; they pride themselves on no lightbulbs being out and would paint over the parks continuously, whether they really needed it or not. Disney has been in dire straits financially since before Covid, as the Fox acquisition was a disaster and Disney+ has not performed to standard. Additionally, mass layoffs of Cast Members during Covid meant rehiring maintenance staff was a long, laborious process. We’re just now seeing Disney World being fully staffed again.”
Disney has also had to find incentives to get Guests back into the parks as attendance has fallen.
Some Guests have also pointed out that recent hotel refurbishments have ruined the rooms instead of enhancing them. Disney’s BoardWalk Inn was recently under fire after they opened Carousel Coffee with a rather bland seating area that someone would expect to see at a Hilton hotel. Plus, with their new room design looking much more sleek and clean instead of themed, Guests no longer were feeling like they were on a boardwalk but just a regular cookie-cutter hotel.
Other hotels like Disney’s Contemporary Resort have also been in the negative spotlight after heavily infusing Disney IP like The Incredibles into their hotel rooms, turning a Deluxe hotel into a room that, for some, appears to look just like Disney’s Pop Century Resort.
So what does Disney’s Pop Century Resort look like?
Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and other Value Disney Resort like the All-Star’s, have been undergoing a refurbishment which is nearly complete. Only Disney’s All-Star Sports is currently finishing up its rooms. The rooms all have a similar look, with a sleek mid-century modern vibe. Most rooms have a fold-up bed, which acts as a table during the day, and a queen bed with a Disney aesthetic headboard at night. The other bed always remains down, with pop-art Mickey Mouse designs on the headboard. The room feels like an improvement for some, but for others, the price point and de-theming makes it no longer worth the price.
One Disney Guest staying at Pop Century (@RIPcotCenter) Tweeted: “For a mere $230 a night at Pop Century, you can enjoy this beautifully “Disney themed” room. #Magic”. Following that Tweet, another Disney fan, Save the Magic (@savethemagic), replied, “The aesthetic of the newer renovated Disney rooms feel like a hospital room. No theme, no nothing other than just stripped down. It’s sad that we’re going to be stuck with this for the next 10ish years. Another decline by degrees. What we had was better.”
The aesthetic of the newer renovated Disney rooms feel like a hospital room. No theme, no nothing other than just stripped down. It’s sad that we’re going to be stuck with this for the next 10ish years. Another decline by degrees. What we had was better. https://t.co/IvSCm8q9mz
— Savethemagic (@Savethedmagic) August 1, 2023
The comments that followed the Tweet both agreed and disagreed with the sentiment. On fan writing, “Yeah no. I will gladly take this over the previous tacky aesthetic at both this and the All Stars, this feels more lux at a price point that many can afford, versus the garish wall banners, cheap looming furniture, and linens”, while another said, “That does look like a hospital room 😳😳”.
Although Disney’s Pop Century Resort is a Value Resort, it does tend to be the pricer of all four options since it is attached to the Disney Skyliner, connecting it to EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. It is also steps away from it’s unfinished other half, which we now know today to be Disney’s Art of Animation. Disney describes the hotel as, “Experience the unforgettable fads of the 1950s through the 1990s all over again. From yo-yos and Play-Doh® to Rubik’s Cube® and rollerblades, this Resort hotel salutes the timeless fashions, catch phrases, toys and dances that captivated the world through the decades.”
Personally, I am a huge fan of the refurbishment as it gives Guests an updated room with more space thanks to the fold-up bed system. The Disney artwork gives it just enough of a Disney touch, and it has excellent access to Disney transportation!
What do you think of the interior of Disney’s Pop Century Resort? Let us know below!
If you are looking to visit Walt Disney World Resort for a magical vacation, the Walt Disney World Website can be a great tool to begin planning your trip! You can begin exploring their theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. You can also take a look at their water parks where you can splash around in the chill of Disney’s Blizzard Beach (alongside new Frozen characters, Anna, Elsa, Sven, and Kristoff), or hit the waves at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. When you get hungry or want to go shopping, Disney Springs is the place to be, especially with World of Disney there ready to help you pick up some souvenirs! You can also begin looking for your Disney World Resort! If you are looking to stay at a Deluxe monorail Resort like Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa or a Value Resort where you can hop on the Skyliner like Disney’s Pop Century Resort, it is always fun to begin looking for a room that would best suit you and your party. Plus, it has all the information you need to know on Disney Genie+ so that you will be ready to go on your My Disney Experience app once you download it! Click here to check it out today.